Chicken Basque

Total Time: 1 hr 55 mins Preparation Time: 50 mins Cook Time: 1 hr 5 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 3 1/2 lbs chicken, jointed
• 2 large red peppers
• 2 medium onions
• 2 ounces sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil or 2 ounces chopped tomatoes, well drained
• 2 -3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 -3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 4 ounces chorizo sausages, cut into 1cm chunks
• 8 fluid ounces brown basmati rice
• 1/2 pint chicken stock, better if made freshly from giblets etc
• 6 fluid ounces dry wine, good excuse open a bottle
• 1 tablespoon tomato puree
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon herbes de provence
• 2 ounces stoned black olives, halved
• 1/2 large orange, split into wedges

Recipe

• 1 joint chicken and season well ( you can use just chicken breasts if you feel flush ).
• 2 cut the onion and red pepper ( remove pith etc.) into strips the same size.
• 3 drain / dry and cut sun dried tomatoes into 1cm pieces.
• 4 heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a flameproof casserole dish ( with lid ). add the chicken and brown all over. take out and drain on kitchen paper.
• 5 add onions and peppers and brown - about 5 minutes.( more oil may be needed.).
• 6 add chopped garlic chorizo and sun dried tomatoes. cook for about 1 minute until garlic is golden and the meat has changed colour slightly.
• 7 add rice - stir until grains have been coated in the oil.
• 8 add the stock, wine, tomato puree and cayenne pepper.
• 9 heat until a gentle simmer is achieved. place chicken pieces on the top ( the rice should be submerged in the liquid.), sprinkle on the herbs and scatter the olives and orange wedges. cover and cook on the gentlest possible heat for 50-60 minutes - or until the rice is cooked through.
• 10 this meal can be prepared in advance up to stage 9.